Philosophy of Education: The Recipe for a Successful Classroom
Caitlin Clarke
Monmouth University
Abstract
Every teacher has adopted his or her own educational philosophy on how a class should be managed, taught, and hopefully received by their students. While it is important that every teacher have a clear, detailed philosophy in education, it is even more important for any professional who teaches special education to have one. Many special education teachers form their philosophies through standards already established by certain organizations like the Council for Exceptional Children. However, through experience and observation, the philosophy should constantly be reworked. Through the process of research, collaboration and classroom observations this educational philosophy will highlight the essential aspects that should be included in the Special Education classroom, including understanding individual needs and diversity, the development of the learner, inclusion practices, ideas of equity, and constantly improving through professional development and teaching experience.
Keywords: Philosophy, Education, Inclusion, Equity, Diversity, Understanding,
Individual Needs, Development, Curriculum, Learning, Differences, Practice
Knowledge of Diversity
One of the most important aspects for a professional in the Special Education field is to have a wide knowledge of diversity. Every child is different, therefore every child with similar disabilities should still be looked at as an individual with their own individual circumstances. Highly qualified teachers are able to understand each individual students’ needs and are capable of adapting their course and work to accommodate those needs. This idea is represented in the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) first standard that states, “Beginning special education professionals understand how exceptionalities may interact with development and learning and use this knowledge to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities” (CEC). The key element that falls under this category is a professional’s ability to understand how a child’s culture, language, and family background all influence how a student with disabilities learns.
The history of special education is rather vast, spanning from research as early as the eighteen hundreds, all the way to current day court cases as late as 2010, all of which led to the improvements in public education seen today. In 1954, one of the greatest strides to benefit special education, the Brown vs. Board of Education trial, ruled that in fact separate could not be equal in regards to segregation (Friend 8). Special education professionals argued that it was the same for students with disabilities. From the 1950’s to the 1960’s researchers worked hard to prove that students with disabilities were being done a great disservice in the American schooling system. Titled the Efficacy Studies, they compared the academic achievement of students with disabilities in general education classes to that of those solely in special education classes, only to find that achievement was higher in the general education classes. The results were not surprising, and they actually introduced the idea of immersion in the Public school systems. I strongly believe in the power of a least restrictive environment (LRE). Marilyn Friend, special education author defines the basis of LRE, explaining, “…students must be educated in the setting most like that of typical peers in which they can succeed when provided with the needed supports and services…” (Friend 12). It’s important that every special education professional is committed to enabling their students to reach their full potential, and it can only be done through close observation and constant tweaking to make sure the curriculum benefits each student in a substantial way. Having exceptional students placed in the general education classrooms, along with special education teachers collaborating with the general education teacher, greatly profits all participating students. Teachers should recognize the needs of their students and help to create an individualized curriculum that will most benefit them and their certain circumstances.
Learner Development and Influential Differences
Establishing the philosophy of lifelong learning for both the teacher and the student is incredibly important in classrooms. The teacher should constantly be improving his or her curriculum, while adapting to each student’s individual differences. CEC’s standard three states professionals must “understand the central concepts, structures of the discipline, and tools of inquiry of the content areas they teach, and can organize this knowledge, integrate cross-disciplinary skills, and develop meaningful learning progressions for individuals with exceptionalities” (CEC). Back in the eighteen hundreds, Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard worked with a boy named Victor who had severe disabilities, so severe that no one believed he would ever be able to learn how to speak (Friend 6). Itard worked with the boy tirelessly and while he did not see his work to be as successful as he had hoped, it proved that children with even the most significant needs had the capacity to learn. In my own classroom, I will always uphold the belief that anyone can learn and grow, and if that is not happening, different teaching methods should be introduced. I also strongly believe in the idea of equity instead of equality in regards to education.
Equality is the method where each student gets the same treatment and resources, whereas equity is where each student gets what they need to succeed even though it may be different for each student. Friend discusses equity, explaining, “Equity pedagogy refers to the use of instructional strategies that embrace the learning characteristics and cognitive styles of diverse populations. The goal is to modify teaching so that all students can achieve academic success” (Friend 81). As a teacher, this is of utmost importance to understand because it will essentially level the playing field and secure the success of all students. Through the use of professional activities and learning communities, instructors should work on improving their curriculums constantly throughout their career and learning from other professionals certain activities that help with the development of their students. Teachers should not only be able to effectively teach students in their specialized course content but should be able to teach across other curricular content areas as well to make sure their students fully understand what they are learning.
An essential aspect of understanding learner development and influential differences is understanding ways to help support individual learners and their learning process. One important method all teachers should establish in their classrooms is differential instruction. Friend describes how differential instruction “focuses on designing and delivering effective learning experiences for students, regardless of their unique characteristics” (Friend 79). This is an essential aspect that all teachers in the special education field should be committed to integrating in their classrooms. Cathy Weselby, author of “What is Differentiated Instruction”, breaks down differential instruction methods into four different categories including Content, Process, Product and Learning Environment. All of these provide vital strategies that teachers can utilize to better their curriculum and their students learning of the material. Some strategies she suggests are “Create a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the lesson…Allow auditory learners to listen to audiobooks…Kinesthetic learners build a diorama illustrating the story…Create quiet spaces where there are no distractions” (Weselby 2). This is just the beginning to a long list of ideas teachers can utilize to help all types of students within their own classrooms. It is important that all teachers are willing to offer different types of assignments to students to help them grow and learn, as well as adapting their learning environment so it feels welcoming and comfortable.
Professional Learning and Practice
Lastly and perhaps one of the most important aspects of a special education philosophy is Professional Learning and Practice. This aspect consists of constantly finding new methods to advance the special education practice in schools nationwide. CEC’s sixth standard states, “Beginning special education professionals use foundational knowledge of the field and the professional Ethical Principles and Practice Standards to inform special education practice, to engage in lifelong learning, and to advance the profession” (CEC). All of these are incredibly important and result in the most effective learning for students. Another important aspect under this standard is advocacy and mentoring for future professionals who are planning on entering the field. Special Education teachers must be able to guide paraeducators and tutors in their classrooms about the student’s individual needs and the practices that work best for them (Friend 37).
Throughout early history, students with disabilities were oftentimes looked at as incapable of learning. However, as history progressed and court cases like Mills vs. Board of Education, L.B. vs. Nebo School District and Larry P. vs. Riles were introduced, professionals learned that a child’s ability to learn relied solely on their environment and the resources that were available to them. These cases introduced important concepts that I strongly believe in, such as the extension of special education to all children with disabilities, using non-discriminatory testing, not excluding students from their education due to a behavior related to their disability, and providing every child with significant and meaningful learning opportunities that prove beneficial to them. As a future teacher, I want to instill this philosophy in my own classroom, and therefore need to make sure all professionals in my classroom are focused on the same ideals. Both myself and the teachers in my classroom must be able to collaborate with other teachers in the building and district to better help students with disabilities regardless of if they are in a general or special education classrooms.
References
CEC Professional Standards. (2018). Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.cec.sped.org/Standards
FRIEND, M. (2018). SPECIAL EDUCATION: Contemporary perspectives for school professionals (5th ed.). S.l.: PRENTICE HALL.
Weselby, Cathy. “What Is Differentiated Instruction? Examples of Strategies.” Concordia University-Portland, Concordia University-Portland, 21 Aug. 2018, education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/examples-of-differentiated-instruction/.